Stollingscycli

Stollingscycli is a Dutch term meaning solidification cycles; in the literature it refers to the sequence of phase changes and microstructural evolution that occur when a liquid alloy or molten material cools and becomes solid. The concept is used in metallurgy, casting technology, and materials science, and can also appear in geoscience discussions of rock solidification in cooling magma, with the exact scope depending on the author.

A solidification cycle comprises onset of solidification (undercooling), nucleation of solid phases, growth of grains or dendritic structures, possible formation of multiple solid phases, release of latent heat, and completion of solidification. It is influenced by alloy composition, cooling rate, presence of impurities or inoculants, and thermal gradients. The resulting microstructure — grain size, phase distribution, and defect content — strongly affects mechanical properties.

Practically, stollingscycli are studied using cooling curves, differential scanning calorimetry or differential thermal analysis, metallographic microscopy, and computational modeling. Key metrics include the solidification start temperature, end temperature, maximum undercooling, and rate of solidification. Understanding the cycles helps optimize casting quality, reduce defects, and tailor material properties through controlled cooling.

Etymology: from stolling (solidification) and cyclus (cycle) in Dutch. While the term is most common in Dutch-language texts, similar concepts are discussed under solidification, phase transformations, and cooling cycles in other languages.